Although Cyrus had been reluctant of it, Auovin had pushed on with leaving further into Dantic and away from Assania. Everyone who was familiar with demons knew that that was demon country. They had given up that land to them a long, long time ago. Ari looked around for Rein and Freir noticing them whispering feverishly under their breaths as they pulled close together. In truth, Ari was growing wary as well.

He touched his lips before taking a hand through his hair doing his best to ignore Cyrus' and Auovin's closeness. But it was a monster growing a festering inside of him filling his insides with acid, that feeling. He balled his hands into fists and smothered the bitterness down with thoughts of answers and seeing a new world hidden away from him for so long. Auovin was only showing him the way, nothing more.

As much as he wanted to press for more from Auovin, Ari knew he should stop and heed Freir's warning. Auovin was a demon and his want for him was different from the want Ari had for him. He was not so dumb to believe in Auovin's honeyed words either. Auovin would never see him the same way as he sees Cyrus or Inge, for the matter. He was using him. Ari closed his eyes at the thought and sighed away a frown.

"Ari, my boy, come here." Ari looked at Freir as he motioned him to come closer. "Come here, quickly now," he said with a hushed voice.

Ari lagged behind to let Freir catch up to him. The moment he did, he grabbed Ari by the neck and brought him close to him.

"This has gone on long enough. If we go here, we may not come back alive."

Ari smacked his hand away from him causing Freir to grab it and scowl at him with pain laced through his eyes.

"Freir are you-- "

"-- I am fine, Rein."

"Your hand... " Rein looked from Freir to Ari with a paling face. "You did not... "

"He is a young boy. They make mistakes," Freir said.

"You had warned him and he blatantly ignored it! He has been lead astray and there is no way in getting him to come back with us now." Rein looked at Freir's reddening hand and ran his thumb across it restlessly.

"You are worrying for nothing. I had raised him. You had raised him. He knows where he belongs."

Ari could do nothing but look at his own hands in shock. He had not... He did not mean to hurt him. It was a small thing, a simple smack as he always had done.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to-- "

Rein pushed him away from them and glared into his eyes. "You stay over there."

"Rein!" Freir said.

"He will turn on us like a rabid dog!"

Ari kneaded his brows together as his heart sank to the pits of his stomach at his words. Was that what he was? A rabid dog? It was a small mistake. He would never harm Freir of all people. Maybe Rein, but never him. As disappointed as he was with him, Ari still looked at him as someone very close and dear to his heart.

"It was a mistake. He did not mean it. Leave him be," Freir hissed and yanked Rein by his collar. "He is ours."

"For how much longer?"

Freir pushed passed Rein and walked close to him, but Ari turned his head and walked further ahead. He did not want to show the hurt showing across his face.

"Ari, boy, come here." Ari kept walking ahead. "Ari!" Freir called again and grabbed his wrist.

Freir spun him around and brought him off the trail and into the dense forestry.

"Boy, listen to me." Freir turned his head back just as Ari was about to turn it from him. "I care for you and I hold you dearly in my heart. It does not matter what blood flows through your veins."

"I could not help it," Ari sobbed.

"Ari, it was wrong of us to hide this from you so long. We tell you something is wrong when innately it feels right... And it is wrong of us to do. You are not like us nor will you ever be like us."

Ari was riddled with confusing emotions. He did not know what was right or wrong anymore. At that moment, it was what he wanted, needed, so he took it. Looking back on it now, it was very wrong and he had, once again, disappointed a man who thought the world of him.

"So forgive us... and come back with us."

"I cannot."

"Ari."

"I cannot and you know it. I am not the same as any of you and I will not be looked at as some kind of dog," Ari hissed.

"I do not think that of you."

"But everyone else does! They always have. I do not want to go back."

"Dry your eyes. Dry your eyes now, boy." Freir's calloused fingers wiped away the tears dripping down his face trying to calm him, but it only made him feel worse. How could he possibly live up to his expectations when everything he wanted from him his body spoke differently of? "Things are not as always as you think they are... Nolan will tell you the same."

"I do not care what Nolan says. He is a liar as well."

"And for good reason! That demon," Freir pointed off into the distance," that demon is of the devil, evil incarnate. Do not be swayed by such pretty words and face. Inside of it is nothing but wretchedness. It is tempting as all bad things are... " Ari swallowed as Freir looked at him studying his face. "When Nolan brought you back that day... You had become mine... and no matter the choices you make, I will always love you and hold you dear to my heart. You are mine no matter the blood we do not share."

"Do not show me such love, when I am undeserving of it. I do not need it. I do not want it." Even though he spoke false, Ari knew Freir saw right through his words. Freir knew what words to say to calm his aching heart and Freir knew the love he held for him, Ari held the same for him.

"I am confused," Ari said for lack of any better words.

"Of course you are."

Auovin stirred in him feelings that he loved to feel and it felt wrong to even think that way. He thought it was just his body betraying his mind, but it went deeper than that like an insatiable craving. Truly, he could not help it. Just the thought of it had the back of his throat itching and his heart pumping.

"... I do not know what is wrong with me... " Ari mumbled.

"There is nothing wrong with you."

"There is."

"There is not. There is not, Ari."

Ari's eyes lowered as he let out a shaky sigh. He did not believe him.

"You are attracted to... him and that is normal. You are curious and fascinated by him and that is normal as well."

Freir would not understand not even if he tried to explain it to him. Being with him was like finding a missing piece that connected with all the others. It was like watching a star fall from the skies and the ocean waters lapping up against your feet. Ari knew it was not love, but it was the feelings that he felt when with him so intimately and close that left him feeling confused and overwrought with emotions he rather not have.

"If you decide to go on... Rein and I... we cannot go." Ari looked up at him. "You will be by yourself there."

"... I can take care of myself."

"Ari--"

"I can. I know where to go to find you."

Freir smiled sadly and nodded. "It is a journey you will have to make by yourself as I had known from the beginning. I was hoping you would never have to find out... Ignorance was a bitter bliss for you, once."

"It was."

They walked back in silence from where they had left Rein and found him sitting against one of the boulders as he threw small rocks into the lake. Rein gave one look to Freir before looking at him.

"So you have decided to leave with the blood demon then? It is as I expected. Go on and go. Forget we ever did anything for you," Rein spat.

"Rein if he must find out this way then it is the way things have to be. He will come back to us soon enough."

Rein snuffed and pointed north. Go with your own kind. See how well you fare there without us."

"Your words are harsh," Ari said.

"As they should be. Do you think I would send you off with a hug and smile like Freir? No, I am not so kind and soft-hearted as him. You were a damned thing to begin with."

"Rein--"

"No, Freir. Do you know what we had gone through to keep you alive and the way you are now?" Rein yelled. "You are ungrateful and insolent. Now you go on to leave us for something that kisses your neck ever so often while kissing on others? You will come running back and my arms will not be open to you."

Rein rose and walked back south causing Ari's heart to wither. His words were nothing but cruel.

"Auovin kisses on many necks," Inge said appearing out of nowhere it seemed like. "That is no secret." He smiled and came close to Rein.

"I can tell you a truer one if you let me kiss yours." Inge grinned as Rein scrunched up his face in disgust.

"N--"

"Wait, Rein," Freir said cutting him off, "a secret about a dear friend of yours?"

Inge nodded.

Freir looked to Rein as he shook his head. "How true?"

"Very true."

"But he is a dear friend... "

"Ah, there is no such thing. Only blood and love. No in between." Inge took Rein's chin in hand and smiled. "Oh, do not feign such disgust. You know you like what you see and would not mind having a taste." His finger trailed down the opening part in Rein's shirt as his grin grew.

Ari's eyes tore back to Freir who only seemed to ponder the idea which was ridiculous to him. Rein was his lover. He would not just... Rein pushed away from Inge and walked over to Freir punching him square across the face.

"I am not some bargaining chip you can do what you so please with!"

"That was not what I was--"

"Go on and care for the boy, but do not use me to do it!" Rein turned his head and glared into Ari's eyes. "It is obvious where your heart truly lays, so do not leave with me. I cannot stand the thought of you right now."

Freir's face darkened as he rubbed his cheek and spat out blood.

"Lover's quarrel, hm? They are never good." Inge smiled.

"You had done that on purpose," Freir seethed.

"And what if I had? He sees where his worth lays with you. To me, he is priceless."

"Damned demon," Freir spat.

"Do not worry. Do not worry. I will bring him back. So no more talk of leaving, hm? Well, unless you want to lose your lover along the way."

Ari looked dead in Inge's brown eyes truly shocked at what he had done. Freir was right in his words. They were evil incarnate with a tempestuous nature about them. However, Auovin was right as well. Not all demons were the same. Although Cyrus could be quite threatening, he did nothing unless it involved Auovin.

Inge gave Ari a push.

"Shall we begin this journey now?"

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